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<br />rei ---'\) <br />( ); <br />~li( <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Item #5.4. <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br /> <br />Mayor & City Council <br /> <br />. TO: <br />River FROM: <br /> <br />Pat KIaers, City Administ~ <br />June 14, 1999 <br /> <br />DATE: <br /> <br />SUBJECT: Discuss City Attorney Status <br /> <br />As everyone knows, the city attorney law firm, Doherty Rumble & Butler is <br />closing at the end of the month. The attached June 3, 1999, St. Paul Pioneer <br />Press article provides some additional information on the closing. <br /> <br />The city uses at least four different approaches for obtaining legal services. <br />First, the city uses the county attorney's office for most of its police <br />department work, and in exchange for this service, the county receives 50 <br />percent of the fine revenues. Peter Beck and the Doherty firm serves as the <br />city's general counsel, most of which is under retainer, plus Peter is the lead <br />attorney for the city's environmental and development work. The total <br />annual bill from this firm varies greatly depending on the amount of <br />development work. The city's legal bond consultant is Briggs and Morgan <br />and Jim O'Meara from this firm is used as needed. Larkin, Hoffman serves <br />as our personnel legal consultant and provides advice as needed, which was <br />extensive in the 1996-97 timeframe. Additionally, the League of Cities has <br />attorneys who work for municipalities based on various insurance claims, <br />and finally, the city has used Cliff Lundberg in the past to complete and <br />finalize land transactions. One additional legal note is that the county <br />attorneys office, police department, and the building and zoning department, <br />have been discussing the possibility of using a local attorney to deal with <br />some code enforcement and civil issues that are low on the county's priority <br />list and which may be best handled at the local level versus having Peter and <br />his firm take care of these situations. The following total fees chart is offered <br />for your information. <br /> <br />Firm <br />Larkin Hoffman <br />Bri s Mor an <br />Dohert Rumble & Butler <br />Count <br /> <br />1998 <br />$5,614 <br />$750 <br />$84,978 <br />$115,753 <br /> <br />1997 <br />$32,700 <br />$11,342 <br />$98,783 <br />$84,221 <br /> <br />It is recommended that no change in Peter's status as our city attorney takes <br />place and, assuming that there is no change in the cost of his legal services <br />and the quality of the services received, I see no need to change any of our <br />legal services framework. Peter Beck has served the city well in the past as <br />general counsel and in providing expertise in the environmental and <br />development areas. <br /> <br />13065 Orono Parkway · P.O. Box 490 · Elk River, MN 55330 · TDD & Phone: (612) 441-7420 · Fax: (612) 441-7425 <br />